Flagship Romance
by Darkryt Orbinautz
Summary: Taking place off-screen in between Woken Furies and The Demolished Man, Rarity takes Fowler on a train ride so he can confess his love to June!...yeah. No.


**Disclaimer: ****Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**Darkryt Orbinautz presents...**

**Friendship Is Magic: Prime **

**Bonus Story**

**Flagship Romance**

* * *

The ponies huffed and signed and blew on their fringes, waiting for Ratchet to say that he had found a sign of Twilight on his weird machine.

Ratchet worked diligently, his fingers skittering on the touchpad. His optic rolled to the side slightly, where a very pointy, hulking Insecticon was hovering behind him.

"Do you mind?" Ratchet asked Bob, stopping his work to glare at the Insection. Bob chittered apologetically and pointed to the corner of the room to convey his intent to go sit over there instead.

"I'm awfully tired from all the running we did today." Fluttershy said. "Is is okay if I go take a nap?"

Ratchet shook his head and scoffed. Optimus, proving more sympathetic than his old friend, stepped forward. "As long you do not harm our human friends or our infrastructure and equipment, you may do as you wish, Fluttershy."

"Thank you!" Fluttershy turned and ran towards the nearest platform in the room, climbing up on it. She stepped on it three times to make sure it was safe, as animals do, and curled up on it.

"Hey." Dash flexed her wing for attention. "Speaking of humans, are there any other ones that should meet us, Fowler?"

Fowler tapped his foot, trying to think of anyone else who might want to know. He already contacted Bryce, so...

Jack raised his hand and got off his seat. "My mom."

Fowler slammed his fist into his palm. "Right. June."

"Who's June?" Pinkie questioned.

"Jack's mother."

"Whose mom?"

"June!"

"Rrrgh!" Fowler snarled. "Enough with the third-base antics already!" He flailed his arms around to get his point across. He signed, put his hand on his head, and walked off. "I'll call her." He whipped his phone back out and dialed the number.

Everypony cooed at the sound of Fluttershy's soft snoring. Like many sounds produced by Fluttershy, it was adorable.

"Isn't she just an absolute darling when she's asleep?" Rarity asked their group rhetorically.

"Yeah..." Dash admitted, smiling softly at the sight of their shy friend at peace. It was good that she could sleep, given that they didn't know where Twilight was.

Fluttershy took in a deep breath of air, and...made an Insecticon shriek in her sleep.

"That, on the other hoof, is not so cute." Rarity admitted.

The Ponies' ears perked at the sound of shrieking tires. A white car pulled into the base.

"Another Autobot?" Rarity questioned. "Who's this, then?"

Jack rushed over, attempting to shoo the ponies. "That's not an Autobot, that's my mom! Go hide!"

"But I thought we were supposed to be introduced to your mother?"

"Not all at once!"

"Jack?"

Jack winced when he heard his name called. He had been hoping to ease his mother's introduction to the ponies by doing one by one, but that clearly wasn't happening.

"What's going on?" June demanded, slamming shut the door of her car. She walked towards Jack and the girl. "What are these?"

Rarity stepped forward and bowed, introducing herself like a proper lady. "I am Rarity, and we are Little Ponies. These are my nearest and dearest friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and the sleepy one over there is Fluttershy."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Rarity." June offered her hand out, before retracting it uncertainly. "Actually, uh, how do you..." Rarity rolled her eyes and extended her hoof, allowing June to grab it and shake it.

"Mom?" Jack stuttered. "You're not freaking out...at the alien unicorns and pegasi?"

"Why would I?" June questioned. She wiggled her fingers on Rarity's chin, a motion which Rarity seemed to enjoy a little more then was reasonable. "They're _adorable!_ Especially that one over there..." June quit rubbing, much to Rarity's disappointment, and walked over to the platform Fluttershy was resting on.

"Miss Darby." Fowler waved his hand like he had a hat on to tip to her as she walked by.

"Agent Fowler." June answered, contining onwards towards Fluttershy. Rarity became interested in the Special Agent. June stopped in front of the platform and put her hands on her hips. "Now _that_ is a cute pony."

Rarity huffed, envious of Fluttershy getting all the attention, and more importantly, the compliments. When Jack came up to her side, June put a hand on his shoulder. "Quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I just want to boop her whittle noise!" June reached down, finger outstretched.

"Mom, enough with the baby talk." Jack complained. "And are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What's the harm?" June went in and 'booped' Fluttershy's nose. She put her hand to her mouth and giggled, before doing it again. The second time, Fluttershy woke up instantly, green eyes shooting open. June felt awkward for having woken her up. June waved hello to her.

"Ehehe...hi. I'm June. I've been told your name is Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy stared before blinking. She jumped up into the air, ("AAAAH!") and went running through the base.

June was incredulous. "What did I do!?"

"Nothing! She's just...really shy."

Fluttershy ran right past her friends and Bob's foot. Bob, seeing her so upset, roared and stomped over towards June menacingly.

"Jack, what's an Insecticon doing the base!?"

Thankfully, before Bob could do anything unsavory, Fluttershy ran through a collection of pipes that had been arranged into a cube, knocking them all over and sending them rolling across the floor. The clatter they made was finally enough to get Ratchet's attention.

"What is going on!?" The cranky medic demanded, looking between Bob and the Ponies. He noticed the pipes, thrown into disarray, and groaned. "Ooh!...Fluttershy, I needed that!"

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. Just go ahead and- wait, did you just say you're sorry?" Ratchet started sarcastically, but ended mystified.

"Ha!" Bulkhead came around the corner. "Fluttershy, it's fine. I break Ratchet's stuff all the time, and I never apologize for it-" Bulkhead suddenly found himself gripped by Ratchet like he had a shirt on.

"Bulkhead...do _not_ ruin this for me."

"Come here, everypony." Rarity gestured to Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, uncaring of the mess June and Fluttershy were making of things. Miko, seeing their equine guests conglomerate, weaseled her way over to see what they were keeping secret.

"Miko!?" Rarity exclaimed. "Oh, very well. I suppose you knowing this can't hurt."

"Consarn it, Rarity." Applejack spat. "Wut is it? Spit it out!"

"We should set up Agent Fowler and June!"

Everypony (Miko included) stared wide-eyed.

"They're clearly in love with each other!" Rarity said. "They're just too shy to show it for fear of rejection! Didn't you see the way they greeted each other!? They absolutely MUST be in love!"

"Yeah...or they could just be good friends who are being polite." Applejack said.

"Oh, pish-posh, Applejack! I'll have none of your roguish ways ruining this couple's dreams!"

"Shore it's not your dream that yer transferring onto them?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. Rarity ignored her.

Rarity subsequently explained her fantasy, utterly losing herself in delusional. "No, really, hear me out, girls! It'll be wonderful! Two strangers- actually June and Fowler, so they're not really strangers, I guess, oh I'm getting off track!"

"Ya think?"

"Hush, Applejack! They see each other, and it's love at first sight! But what is a mare to do? What is a proper gentlecolt to do when he's love, and the mare of his dreams is also in love with him, but neither knows it, and both are afraid of rejection of the other finds out!"

"Ah think maybe yer the only one 'fraid of rejection 'ere."

"Silence! Just because my efforts to find love have been...met with mixed results..."

"If by 'mixed results', Y'all mean an utter catastrophe, then Ah completely agree."

"But that doesn't mean June's have to be! Fowler talks with his closet confidante, who encourages him to seek the woman of his dreams, but woe, tragedy!" Rarity brought her front leg over her eyes to emphasize her point. She lifted it off to make sure everypony was still paying attention before continuing. "Just as Fowler gets the courage to tell June how he really feels, a dastardly villain appears and kidnaps the poor mare! Fowler races to the train tops to save his beloved, and an epic face-off ensues that ends with Fowler punching the nefarious villain out! He confesses his love to June, and they kiss as the train rides off into the sunset! Cue credits, with a handsome stallion as the villain, and Rarity as lead director and executive producer, hehe!" Rarity giggled, oblivious to just how insane she sounded to everypony right now.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie raised her hoof. "I'll be the villain! Pick me, pick me, pick me!"

"Well, I was hoping for a husky stallion so I could flirt with him after the movie was over..." Rarity muttered. "But yes, you can be the villain, Pinkie."

"YES!" Pinkie shouted to the air, pumping her hoof. "Thank you, thank you! I won't let you down, ma'am!" Pinkie saluted like they were actually making a movie before running off. "I'll go get started on my costume!"

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud... time to put an end to this nonsense." Applejack brought her hat over eyes before drawing her neck tall, ready to tell Rarity off, but the delusional romantic had disappeared. "Oh, c'mon!"

Rarity walked up to Optimus' foot and tapped him gently on his heel, catching his attention. The crimson titan turned around, his footsteps tromping, to look at the pony. "Is there something I can help you with, Rarity?"

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if maybe you could arrange a train ride for me and my friends, along with June?" Rarity put her hooves together and flitted her eyelashes at him, trying to enforce her power of persuasion, but the effect it had on Optimus was minimal, (at best). Applejack came galloping down the adjacent hallway, skidding to a halt when she saw a flash of her friend's purple tail.

"There y'all are! For lands' sake, girl, don't try tah to git Optimus involved in yer hare-brained scheme!"

"On the contrary, Abigail-

"Applejack! It's Applejack, Prime!"

Optimus cleared his throat. "My apologies...as I was saying, a train ride seems an excellent method of allowing you and our human allies to bond and exchange differences in your cultures."

Applejack's jaw dropped. From the short time they had spent together, Applejack was under the impression that Optimus was a rather serious and stern individual- the kind of 'bot she could get behind. The idea that he would let Rarity proceed with her scheme so easily, with so little persuasion involved... (that not Rarity succeeded, mind. Optimus just saw the potential benefit.)

Fowler was a different matter entirely.

"Prime, you are not getting me to use my government contacts to send your little pet horses-" Rainbow Dash whinnied at the idea of being somepony's pet. "On a JOYRIDE on a huge, steaming train, just so they and the kids can spend a little 'quality time' together!" Fowler jerked his head back and forth to show how little he cared about quality time.

* * *

Sometime later, Fowler let out an sigh, holding his travel suitcase, Rarity sitting on the bench behind him with a very expressively excited smile on her face, the other girls struggling with the human-sized train cabs.

* * *

At MECH's current headquarters, a fax came in one of their machines.

"Huh." The MECH agent pulled it out and read it. "Hey, Silas!? Miss Sparkle!?" He signed. "I will never get used to that name."

Silas appeared, Twilight at her side. "Yes?"

"This came in from one of aerial eyes in the sky." The solider explained, giving Silas the paper. It was a photograph. Twilight craned her neck over Silas' shoulder- not hard to do being a horse while he was a human.

"That's my friends!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Yes." Silas mused. "They appear to be going on a train ride..." A plan already beginning in his head. "Perhaps..."

"We could... _interrupt_ and convince them to help us!" Twilight exclaimed. The MECH solider fumed a little bit. He'd never get away with finishing Silas' sentence like that.

Twilight, in particular, was quite confident she could get her friends on MECH's side when she showed them the tire markings on her back, which she looked at over her shoulder-equivalent area bitterly.

* * *

Fowler, head hanging low, lugged his suitcase, stopped in front of a seat, and plopped into it with all the dead force of a rock skimming across the pond. Everyone else- Raf, Jack and Miko included- made their way inside. Raf hopped into a seat at Fowler's side, having been raised to gravitate towards tho te oldest person in whatever group he was. When June tried to enter, Pinkie tapped her on the shoulder and gesture for the nurse to follow her back through the cab. June obliged the party pony. Fluttershy sat down on her haunches in front of a window and just looked at the world outside. Miko sat next to Dash, while Jack was sandwhiched between Rarity and Applejack. Something he could transparently tell was a bad place to be.

They were all jostled in their seats as the train start to move, picking up speed and churning on its rails. Fowler sighed and looked towards Raf.

"How did I get here, Raf? Ten years in the Army Rangers, only to retire. I went into special services to keep serving my country, got involved with an race of warring robots, just to take a bunch of talking, sparkly ponies on a train ride."

"What do you have against ponies who are sparkly?" Rarity questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Fowler ignored her, throwing his head backwards onto the booth's back and stretching his arms out. He looked at Raf, then put his arm on the boy's shoulder. "Son, do me a favor. Don't go into the Army Ranger. You'll just end up giving joyrides to ponies."

Raf fidgeted. "It...could be worse, Agent Fowler."

"How?" Fowler asked boredly.

"You could be giving a ride to ponies who don't smell nice." Raf answered, giving a glance towards Rarity. Rarity put her hoof in front of her face and giggled, causing Raf to blush and turn back to his laptop. Fluttershy oohed as the plain Nevada desertscape was replaced by ocean and shadows of mountains in the distance. The train was transferring to a suspended bridge above water. Miko was busy pelleting Dash with questions that Dash was amused to answer at first, but Miko's enthusiasm was starting to wear on the apathetic pegasus.

Rarity looked back and forth between her friends and winked at Applejack. When Applejack ignored her, she cleared her throat.

"Ahem...I said." Rarity winked again.

Applejack signed, seeing there was no way for her to escape Rarity's crazy scheme. "So! Agent Fowler...how's yer personal life?"

"Can't complain." Fowler said.

"Y'all ever feel the need to sock it tah yer friends c'os they're trying to involve in their delusional fantasies?" Applejack asked, glaring at Rarity, who looked away and pretended to not know what Applejack was talking about.

Fowler raised an eyebrow at the question, not in on the loop. "No. Why?"

"Well, Ah was jus'-"

There was a high-pitched scream like the scream of a woman from an old movie that was still in black and white, and sounds like rope winding on a winch.

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity exclaimed, her expression of shock faltering because her elation of how smoothly her plan was proceeding. "That sounded like June!"

Jack's attention was caught, a hitch in Rarity's plan, certainly.

"No it didn't." All the humans in the room said in unison.

"Err...my mistake." Rarity said, trying to cover her tracks. Applejack crossed her front legs and laid back against her chair at how epically Rarity was failing right now. "Still, a mature, strong and responsible pony should go to investigate!" Rarity looked in Fowler's direction and blinked her eyes lovingly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." Rainbow Dash said apathetically, stepping away from her window. Rarity facehooved and grabbed Dash by the ear, pulling her close so she could whisper. "What? Oh, yeah. That. Uh...you know what? We should send Agent Fowler in first." Rainbow said, with an obviously forced broad grin.

Fowler and Raf looked to each other. Fowler shook his head and hopped off his chair. "Fine." He went over to the door and kicked it open. "Special Agent William Fowler- what in the sam hill?"

Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack poked their heads through the door, where Pinkie Pie was sitting on the floor, bound in rope, wearing a cape, hat and fake mustache making her look like a villain from the old train movie Rarity had been trying to imitate.

"Pinkie!?" Rarity exclaimed. "What are you doing all tied up in the floor? You were supposed to-" Rarity stuffed her hoof into her mouth to prevent herself from spilling the beans.

"Yep! I accidentally got tied up myself while trying to do your super-fun plan!" Pinkie explained with a smile.

"Who made that scream?" Fowler questioned.

"Oh. That was me! I was practicing my "damsel in distress" scream for my upcoming movie career! Like this, see?" Pinkie opened her mouth wide, and out came the same scream from earlier.

"Where's June?" Rarity added.

Pinkie's eyes rolled around like a pony shrug. "I don't know. She just somehow poofed on me while I was tying myself up."

"Do any of you want to explain to me how a twenty-something year old woman just disappears into thin air!?" Fowler exclaimed, clenching his claws at the air. The ponies all looked to each other and made noises of discomfort and anxiety.

* * *

On top of the train, the wind blowing her hair every which way and then some, June narrowed her eyes and growled. "Optimus will stop you."

The tip of Twilight's flicked across June's face seductively, making June's nose flinch. "I'm sure he will." Twilight said smugly before trotting off to the roof of the next part of the train. June struggled against the rope she was tied in uselessly.

"Get inside the train." Twilight commanded the MECH troopers waiting for her order. With acrobatic ability and skill, the troopers backflipped off the rooftops and busted into the windows, surprising everyone inside.

"MECH!" Fowler swore, shaking his fist. He drew a simple handgun from his pocket, but was forced to yield when MECH pulled out their own much larger rifles-and greater numbers.

"Oh my." Fluttershy whispered silently, held at gunpoint the next room over.

"This was not part of my plan..." Rarity admitted, causing Fowler to raise an eyebrow.

"Plan? What plan?"

Rarity chuckled nervously. "Well, I may have...talked Optimus into letting us on this train ride with the little tiny ulterior motive of getting you and June to confess your secret love for each other."

The MECH troopers exchanged bemused looks.

"Rarity..." Fowler said, pocketing his gun and bringing his hand over his face. "_I have a wife._"

"Oh! Um...my mistake."

Fowler looked at the MECH troops, then at Rarity. He stomped his foot and pointed his finger at her. "I hope you realize this entire mess is your fault!"

"I would appreciate you not raising your voice at my friends, Mister Fowler." Twilight said in a very villain worthy tone as she appeared from the cab's other door.

"Ooh!" Pinkie squealed. "Nice villain voice, Twilight!"

"Thank you. Wait, what? No! I'm not the villain here!"

"Ah really hate to say it, Twilight, but ya kinda are."

Twilight was deeply shocked and offended. "I'm the villain? It's the Autobots and Optimus who are the bad guys!"

"Actually, no." Applejack countered.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh...what exactly did Optimus tell you, Applejack?"

"He told me the truth!" Applejack stomped her hoof, infuriated at Twilight's refusing to accept The Last Prime as the good guy here.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Jack ducked under the seats and started trying to dial Optimus on his cell phone. He didn't notice the door slide open.

"Come on, come on." Jack pleaded, praying for Optimus to pick up. Just as the phone beeped, and he put it to his ear, Jack found his phone being pulled away. He desperately attempted to hold on to it, but his hand was no match for Twilight's magic. Jack was more than a little scared to see her staring down at him with Dark Energon-corrupted eyes. She flashed him a psychotic smile before answering the phone.

"You have reached Optimus Prime." Optimus' olden voice spoke out from the other end.

"So sorry, sir. I must have the _wrong number!_" Twilight snarled before removing the phone from her ear. Jack was helpless to watch as Twilight totally smashed his phone beyond repair by slamming between her hooves.

"We'll be having none of that, Jack." Twilight snarled at him before blasting him across the cart and turning around to back into the room with her friends.

* * *

Optimus sat where he was, wearing an expression that was blank even by his stoic standards while a dial-up tone rung in his comm. He got to his feet and walked over to the GroundBridge controls, typing in the coordinates and pulling the lever.

Optimus was not hip. He was, however, savvy. Savvy enough to know it would pay off to assign Jack's phone a specific ringtone.

Hearing the Bridge be activated without his authorization, Ratchet spun around. "Where are you going?"

"I have reason to believe Twilight Sparkle is threatening our human allies on their trip."

"Mmh. Jack's phone?"

"Yes."

Ratchet shrugged. "It was a good effort on Twilight Sparkle's part, though, wasn't it?"

"Yes..."

Optimus transformed and drove through the Bridge. Bob walked in from the corner and clicked his claws at Ratchet. Ratchet stopped working and stared. Bob held out his claw and made a 'yea high' sign, chittering.

"No, Bob. I do not know where Fluttershy is. Now, leave me to my work." Ratchet told him grumpily. It wasn't until after Bob left the room that Ratchet realized he had just spoken with the Insecticon.

* * *

Twilight was not fond of the hateful glares her friends were giving her when she came back into the room.

"Don't look at me like that!"

"Well, until y'all realize Prime is the good guy, we're gonna keep lookin' at y'all like this." Applejack explained.

Twilight scoffed. "Good guy? Would one of the good guy's soldiers do this!?" She turned around and pointed at her back, showing her friends...absolutely nothing.

"Do what?"

"Wha- you can't see the tire markings on my back!?"

"Actually, no."

"Wha-but-buh-buh-buh..." Twilight stammered, looking over her shoulder-equivalent area to see that her tire markings had nearly completely disappeared, with only the faintest remaining marking that she only picked up because her analytically vision. "Oh! I know!" She rubbed at the silver of Dark Energon in her Cutie Mark. "Dark Energon's rejuvenation properties! It must have healed the tire tracks of!"

Everypony shifted their hooves uncomfortably at how gleeful Twilight was at the Dark Energon's effects. The door from/to the next cab opened, and Silas stepped through with his usual cold, briskness.

"How goes the effort to convert your friends to our side, Miss Sparkle?"

Twilight signed. "Not so good."

"Hmm. Si and Twi. Got a nice ring to it, don't it?" Fowler asked, showing through his flippancy he was unafraid of either of them. "Anyways, Prime will be here any second now to put a stop to whatever you two are planning."

Twilight laughed a noblewoman's laugh. "Oh-ho-ho-ho! I think not, Agent Fowler. You see, when Jack tried to call Optimus, I took the phone and told our dear Prime he dialed the wrong number. Where is your Optimus, now, hmm?"

Pieces of the ceiling fell off, burying Twilight a pile of plaster. The light of her horn flashed vibrantly, and she blasted the plaster off herself, screaming in her rage. "Arrgh! What was that!?"

"That would be Prime." Fowler smugly pointed his thumb at the ceiling. Twilight looked upwards to see a huge, black metal fist poking through, which uncurled and waved at her causally, to the humor of all the ponies there.

"Aaagh!" Twilight used her magic to teleport herself onto the train's roof. MECH agents began crawling the train's side to back her up.

"We meet again, Twilight Sparkle." Optimus greeted, crouched down over the hole he had just made. He stood up.

"All too soon, Optimus."

"I will give you a chance to surrender. I highly advise you take it." Optimus converted his arms into the tactical sound position of one blade and one blaster.

Twilight glared. She pointed at a MECH troop. "You there! Pull my tail!"

The trooper hesitated. "Are you sure? That seems like I'd be touching you inappropriately..."

"Just do it!"

The trooper relented, and started jerking on Twilight's tail. A steady, furious stream of lasers began firing from her horn, which Optimus used his blade to deflect every last one of. When he had an opening, Prime aimed his blaster and shot the trooper, sending him flying off-screen. Twilight's' mouth opened in surprise, but she didn't let it distract her for long, resuming her barrage at Optimus. She levitated all the MECH soldiers' weapons into the air, forming a near-artillery station's worth of weaponry that she let loose on Optimus. Optimus, just as before, blocked the shots with his sword and one by one shot down the floating guns. After taking them all out, he aimed his blaster slightly to the left of her and fired, the idea being that the splash damage would incapacitate her, but not seriously injure her.

Twilight stumbled from the impact, dazed, but she recovered quickly and turned around, galloping towards the other side of the train to rethink her approach. Optimus ran after and jumped high into the air, landing down and stabbing his sword through her tail, pinning her.

The MECH men in the cart below were startled at the appearance of Optimus' sword stabbing through the roof.

Twilight rolled over to see what was preventing her movement, and gave Optimus a glare when she saw that it was him. She grabbed her tail and yanked it, freeing herself from the blade at the expense of her purple tail hairs, and kept running.

"Ah-ha!" Twilight exclaimed. There was a mountain coming up ahead with the railroad tracks built to run through. She would loose him in there!

The train carried on its set trajectory, leaving both combatants in the dark as they traveled the mountain cave's interior. The cave was illuminated by the lasers of Twilight's horn and Optimus' gun, but when they both a particular bright flash, they could see they had been firing in opposite directions at nothing instead of each other. They turned around to remedy this, but Twilight heard Optimus' grunt and what sounded like metal being thrown around before they could resume. She assumed this was Optimus hitting a stalactite, which was proven correct when the train exited the cave and Prime was nowhere to be found.

"Ha!" Twilight cried out in triumph. "I did it! I beat...Optimus Prime." Her voice went a note lower when she looked back to see Optimus pursuing the train in his vehicular mode. He made an impressive jump from the tracks to the train, still in his vehicle mode, and Twilight just narrowly rolled out of the way in time to avoid being crushed by him. Seeing his weighty truck mode on the end of the train, Twilight got an idea...

Optimus revved and charged forward, his wheels hugging and sparking the sides of the train's top, probably intending to run Twilight over. Twilight, in a direct contradiction of the logical response, ran towards him...and teleported, right onto the perch of his door! She teleported again, this time taking him with her, to the train tracks they had already crossed, then got off him and teleported back onto the train. Optimus was disorientated from the sudden change in position, and converted to robot mode to get his bearings. He wobbled around a bit before turning back to the direction the train was facing. His optics practically bugged out of their sockets at Twilight's next trick:

She had removed the pin linking the caboose of the train to the next one, and was actually levitating the caboose in the air. She smiled mischievously at him, knowing he knew what was coming. With a grunting groan, she lifted the caboose higher and hurled it at him. Optimus did the first thing he could think of and primed his blasters, shooting desperately at the train cab in the hopes of blasting it apart before it hit him. His hopes went unfulfilled.

The cab hit him and pinned him, sending him sparking against the tracks. He grunted and attempted to push it off, but the impact had taken the wind out of him. (So to speak.) He closed his optics to rest...

Twilight smiled at her victory, somewhat underestimating what an honor it was to have beaten Optimus Prime. She teleported back inside the train to report this to her friends. (Technically hostages, but don't tell her that.)

"What happened to Prime?" Fowler questioned, unable to prevent his worry from seeping into his tone.

"Look out the window." Twilight instructed coolly. Fowler did, and he was thrown for a loop at the sight of Optimus buried under a cab, getting further and further away as the train continued on its path.

"I guess Optimus won't be stopping us after all." Twilight remarked egotistically.

After the train had long left, an ominous shadow began to fall over the downed Optimus...

"No..." Fowler weakly protested.

* * *

In another cabin of the train, Pinkie and June had been lopped together, since they were already conveniently both tied up. One henchman had gotten sick of Pinkie's motor mouth and slapped a piece of tape without Twilight's permission- or knowledge. He put one on June, just for good measure.

June scanned her eyes about the room, taking note there was only one guard posted one side of the door. Making sure he didn't see what she was doing, June lifted her feet and used one shoe to push her other shoe off, and then used the shoe to push off the sock. Wiggling her free toes, she picked up the discarded shoe and threw it at the guard. It hit his head and knocked him out before he even knew what hit him. She then scooted herself around and used her toes to peel off the tape off Pinkie's mouth.

Pinkie took in a very loud gasp for air. "HU! Wow, thanks June! That nasty tape was keeping me from talking, and me talking is like Applejack not bucking! Or Rarity not making dresses or Rainbow Dash not flying- yes, June?"

June arched her back at Pinkie. Pinkie, missing the idea completely, complimented her.

"You have a very nice back, June."

June closed her eyes in frustration. She made chomping motions with her fingers, which Pinkie observed for a very long time before getting it.

"...OH! I see!" Pinkie reached her neck over and started gnawing on the ropes, her equine chompers doing wonders to chew right through it. Once June was free, she yanked the tape off her own mouth before untying the knots on Pinkie.

"Right!" Pinkie stood up on her hind legs and struck a Kung Fu pose. "Let's go kick some Cutie Mark!"

"_Let's._" June growled darkly.

The two went into the next cabin over, getting immediately stopped by Silas.

"Miss Darby." Silas greeted in his cold, uncaring tone. "What are you doing out and about?"

"Putting a stop to your mad plan, whatever it is." June answered defiantly.

Silas almost- almost- seemed amused by this. "And how exactly do you intend to do that?"

"Simple."

June reached her arm over Silas' shoulder and pinched his neck. Silas grunted and collapsed.

"I'm a nurse. Come on, Pinkie Pie!"

In the next room, Jack, taking after his mother, was throwing out insults at Twilight and reassurances- more to himself than her- that Optimus would get back up and stop her.

"You'll never get away with this."

"I think I already have." Twilight replied haughtily. She began stalking towards him. "You really need to know when to give up, Jack. Of course, we might've avoided all this if _you_ hadn't seen me and my friends on a wild goose chase in the first place!"

"Wild goose chase?"

"Yes! The cavern where you said Discord was, there was no Discord!" Twilight's eye twitched. "You can understand why I might be a just a teeny little bit upset about that?"

"Yes. I do. I totally do." Jack backed away, his hands raised up in surrender. "But I didn't know. I really thought Discord was still in there."

"Right." Twilight drawled with an bored tone that made it clear she didn't believe him. "Anyways-"

Whatever Twilight was about to say next was interrupted by the whizzing pop of a fired gun, which just narrowly avoid Twilight's head and cut off her bangs. Both were stunned when they turned around to see June standing there, a smoking MECH weapon in her arms.

"Get your filthy, Dark Energon-infested hooves away from my son!"

"'Filthy'!?"

"Mom! You know how to shoot a gun?"

"Well," June chuckled airily. "I watched enough of your cartoon shows when you were younger to know to stick the pointy end at the bad guys." She cocked the rifle and aimed pointedly at Twilight. Twilight humphed.

"Walk back." June instructed. Twilight reluctantly obeyed, walking backwards through the trains' cabs until they were in the conductor's room. Once they were in, they were almost immediately joined by everypony else- Fowler, Miko, Dash, Rarity, and unfortunately, Silas.

"Well, this was unexpected!" Twilight exclaimed. "But still, we have troops all over the train. I don't how you fought them all off, but I assure you, there's more where they came from."

Before anypony could add anything one way or another, a GroundBridge opened just a few yards ahead of the train. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee came driving through, in that exact line-up, and transformed in front of the train. Bulkhead charge and grabbed it, trying to pull a Convoy and stop the train from advancing. Bumblebee charged and put his weight behind Bulkhead's, and Arcee put hers behind Bumblebee's. The train began to grind down, slowing, and would probably stop soon.

"All right, Si and Twi." Fowler growled, reaching for his handgun again. "Give up. We've got you cornered. Just surrender quietly and we can all go home tonight."

Silas scowled, unrelenting.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Twilight chided, looking straight at the Autobots' through the train's windshield. "Not so fast." A light traveled across her horn like a battery charging up, and her entire horn illuminated brightly.

The train's front wheels were enveloped in the Dark Energon-corrupted glow of Twilight's magic, and they spun furiously, sending sparks flying with the grunt of their and pushing the Autobots despite their combined strength.

"Oh my." Fluttershy whimpered at the sight of their would-be rescuers faltering. She stumbled and wobbled a bit. "I...I need some fresh air."

"You go right ahead, Fluttershy." Twilight said like nothing had changed between their friends and them.

Fluttershy walked over to the window and pushed it up, sticking her head out for some air. She boredly looked left and right, and lightened up when she looked to the right. She flailed her hooves out and yelped. "Oh, over here, sweetie! Mama's in trouble!"

"What are you blabbing about?" Twilight questioned.

"Look!" Bulkhead pointed at the sky. "It's Optimus!"

"What!?" Twilight exclaimed, making sure not to lose focus on her magic while still going to check the window.

Up in the sky, the sunlight gleaming in a fittingly heroic way off their coats of paint, Bob was flying towards them in beetle mode, Optimus hanging from the Insecticon's legs. Bob shrieked and swerved and twirled. Optimus leaped off him while he transformed, and both titans landed on the train cart just before the front. Optimus primed his blaster and shot the pin holding them together. He and Bob hopped onto the train-front and fist-bumped before kicking the rest of the train, making it roll backwards a few measly yards.

It was all they needed, though.

Optimus and Bob jumped off onto the rails, and shoveled their respective appendages under the train-front.

"Everypony, hold on!" Optimus instructed.

They lifted the train up and turned it onto its side, making all the residents inside tumble and landed on their sides against the wall, which had become the floor. They picked themselves up and brushed themselves off. Fowler walked over to Twilight.

"Now it's over, Sparkly-butt."

"On the contrary, Agent Fowler." Silas interrupted. "It's not over until the fat lady sings...and I don't know about you, but I'd say Miss Sparkle and all her friends are more in the medium size class."

"I'm...not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult." Rarity stammered out.

Twilight smacked Fowler aside and ran up to Silas, picking him in her mouth by the collar of her shirt. They both disappeared in a flash of light.

"Oh, consarn it to tarnation!" Agent Fowler swore, slamming his fist into the floor. He wasn't entirely sure why he suddenly picked up Applejack's speech pattern.

* * *

Later, at Outpost Omega-One, after everyone was settled in and calmed down from their escapade today.

"How did you know we were in trouble?" June asked Ratchet.

"It's simple." Ratchet answered. "I tried to contact Optimus, and when he didn't reply, I sent back-up."

"All right!" Miko gave two thumbs-up. "But where did you get the idea to send Bob to get Optimus?"

"It...wasn't my idea." Ratchet nervously admitted, putting a hand on his chest. "It was Bob's."

"Oh, that's my little Bob." Fluttershy cooed. "I know he looks big and scary, but he's really a sweetheart once you get to know him."

Dash scoffed. "You'd say that about Discord if you had the chance."

June tapped Agent Fowler for attention. "Agent Fowler?"

"Yes, Miss Darby?"

"Pinkie told me about this entire thing was a scheme of yours, Agent Fowler. Next time you want to go on a romantic outing with me, honestly...just ask me out to dinner."

Fowler stomped his foot. "Pinkie misremember something. Tell that to HER!" He pointed rather angrily at Rarity, who smiled and chuckled nervously, blushing.

"If I may interrupt." Optimus said, and the whole room fell silent, giving him permission like it was a command rather than a request.

Prime cleared his throat, and proceeded to give a speech. "We are gathered here today to honor a new addition into our ranks. Although he is not of our kind, it would do well for us- for all of us- to accept him as though he were. For he has demonstrated the resourcefulness and intuiona that all Autobots should strive for. He is also a shining exmaple of what can change in even the most violent of us, once we are presnted with a little..." Optimus glanced at Fluttershy, who hid behind her mane, though she was smiling and blushing. "Kindness. May I present..."

Optimus gestured to the entrance.

"Bob."

Bob stepped through the door and ran towards Fluttershy, kneeling down to proudly show her his still-smouldering, recently applied Autobrand.

* * *

**Author's Notes for "Flagship Romance"  
**

**So, yeah. This was going to be in Act III, but in the end it was not. Themes from the original and this version that are still present are Twilight managing to down Optimus (something that also was used in the finished version of the Act in "The Demolished Man"), the Autobots trying to stop the train and Twilight using her magic to keep the train going, and Bob coming to the rescue, and Ratchet's accepting of Bob as an Autobot. (It's subtle, but there.) Oh, and Pinkie complimenting June's back. This was intended as humor, but I think people might actually find it creepy...but I am not those people, and they are not me. (I think...) and Fowler telling June to take it up with Rarity at the end there.**

**Differences from the Original Version**

**Applejack didn't correct Optimus on her name again. I threw this in, as it takes place _between_ "Only Forward" and "Woken Furies" which is the time you're supposed to assume they smoothed any name issues.**

**There was no mention of Fowler's wife. (From the comics.) Originally, any reference to her was removed in order to keep things from getting awkward, but as I was typing this up, I saw a perfect opportunity to make a funny out of it.**

**Other Things**

**I want you to go back and re-read Twilight's and Optimus' fight, imagining Alex Cooper's "Poison" playing through, up until Optimus gets pinned down.**

**This was intended as way of sort of 'recreating' the events of "Convoy", allowing the ponies go through what the humans went through in that episode. There's also a double reference in the narration here: See, not only is the episode named Convoy, but Optimus- the 'Bot who stopped the train in that episode- is (usually) named Something Convoy in Japan. **

**I was also going to do another 'recreation' with Shadowzone, sending the ponies there, as well, and eventully making it so Twilight had Skyquake as the lieutenant of her plague Autobot terrorcons. This was cut out, as it was too much effort for not enough shake-up.**

**Also, QUIT ASKING ABOUT FLUTTERSHY'S INSECTICONS. They ARE WITH her. They're in the tunnel under her shed I mentioned in the A/N of The Reign of Starscream's first chapter. Their fight with Shining was cut out. The tunnel was not. Everypony that knows about Cybertronians knows about her Insecticons.**


End file.
